Thursday, September 30, 2010

9/30 Brownies with Vanilla Caramel Swirl

Delicious, incredibly easy brownies based on Good Life Eats
They are meant to be in a heart shape as a gift for a friend.


The first time I made these, I put them in the oven and realized I forgot the flour! I remembered early enough that they still turned out wonderfully.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

9/29 Can't Get Enough Lentils

Lentils and onions with roasted cherry tomatoes--the cherry tomatoes add some big flavor

Monday, September 27, 2010

9/27 Butternut Squash Soup and Salad

Butternut Squash Soup
1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup cream
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, chopped
Spices (rosemary, cinnamon, nutmeg, etc.)






Heat the butternut squash, cream, and ginger in a large pot on medium heat, covered, until squash is soft (probably 30-60 minutes, depending on your stove). Add spices and blend with an immersion blender (or regular blender) until smooth. I like to make extra to put into Glad containers and freeze for later. Also, feel free to add other types of squash, pumpkin, sweet potato, and any other spices and herbs.







Also with tomato and walnut salad with cranberries, goat cheese, and balsamic vinaigrette

Sunday, September 19, 2010

9/20 Sauteed Spiced Apples

Sauteed spiced apples and walnuts
3 tablespoons butter
Brown sugar
1 apple
Handful of walnuts


Melt the butter on medium heat and add enough brown sugar (about 1/8 cup) to make a thin caramel. Toss in apple slices and walnuts until well-coated and soft.

9/19 Every Part of the Beet

I realized my love for beets about a year ago, but I only just realized you can treat the leaves of the beets just like any other leafy green. They made for a fabulous meal.


Everything in stock: String beans, vegetarian sausage, beet greens (just as beautiful as swiss chard), quinoa, and garlic with yogurt sauce (yogurt, tahini, and sesame oil)

Roasted beets and goat cheese
Roasted beets
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Scrub beets clean and cut off beet greens. Wrap in foil with a little bit of oil and bake for about an hour, until beets are soft when pierced with a knife.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

9/18 Swiss Chard and White Cheddar Frittata

When I was making my frittata, I considered making it as healthy as I could. I used 4 eggs, skim milk instead of cream, and swiss chard (a fabulously healthy leafy green). Feel free to experiment with the ingredients.

Swiss Chard and White Cheddar Frittata
4 eggs
1 cup milk (I used skim)
Bunch of swiss chard
1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk eggs and milk together. Chop swiss chard into small pieces. Mix chard and cheese into eggs and milk. Pour into greased pie pan. Bake for about an hour, until the center appears solid when you shake the pan.
I topped my frittata with roasted cherry tomatoes, which made it even more delicious!

Friday, September 17, 2010

9/17 Fabulous Pretzels

Whole wheat soft pretzels

Thursday, September 16, 2010

9/16 The Best Grilled Cheese I Have Ever Eaten

No grilled cheese will ever compare to this one. It was a perfect combination of flavors and textures.

Cheddar, munster, and goat cheese grilled cheese with roasted cherry tomatoes, sauteed garlic swiss chard, and homemade pesto


















Pesto (Cheeseless)
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves (I used about half the leaves from my small basil plant)
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup pine nuts
A few tablespoons of oil
A few tablespoons of lemon juice

Put all dry ingredients in a food processor (I used my immersion blender). Add enough oil and lemon juice to blend well. I used more lemon juice than oil because I can never get enough lemon. Feel free to experiment with the amounts to make it to your liking. Store in a well-sealed container, and it will keep for at least a week.

Grilled cheese
A handful of cherry tomatoes
Oil
Balsamic vinegar
A few stalks of swiss chard (I used 3 large stalks)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 slices bread (I used whole wheat oat)
Pesto
Goat cheese
Munster cheese
White cheddar cheese



Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread the tomatoes onto a baking sheet and drizzle with oil and vinegar. Let roast about 45 minutes until the tomatoes "pop" (shrink and spread delicious juices).
Chop swiss chard into small pieces. Separate the leaves and the stalk. Sautee stalk about 5 minutes on medium heat. Add the leaves and garlic. Continue to sautee until leaves shrink and stalk gains transparency.
Spread pesto onto both slices of bread. Add cheese, tomatoes, and swiss chard. Bake, according to your preferences. I like a little bit of butter on a flat pan on the stove until the bread is dark brown and the cheese is melted.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

9/12 A Delectable Indian Meal

My roommate and I had volunteered to cook house dinner tonight, so we opted for a full-on Indian meal. I made naan, which I had never in my life cooked before, and she made delicious curried lentils (I love lentils!). We also had pumpkin whoopie pies with cream cheese frosting, to which nothing will ever measure up.

20 baked pieces of naan

Curried lentils and yogurt sauce

Brown rice
Sauteed kale and onions
All the fabulous items together

9/12 Irish Sodabread

Irish sodabread with cranberries

Saturday, September 11, 2010

9/11 Orzo and More Yogurt Sauce

Cucumber, tomatoes, yogurt sauce, vegetarian sausage, and orzo

Thursday, September 9, 2010

9/9 I Just Can't Get Enough Pumpkin

It's that time of the year again! The leaves are changing colors. The air is finally becoming cooler and less humid. Orange vegetables are in abundance!
And all I want to do is eat pumpkin.

Pumpkin bread!

On another note, we realized too late that the oven shelf was up too high, and the bread rose much more than we expected, so...
We were left with sadface pumpkin bread, although the only emotion I could taste was happiness for the first bite of Fall!

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

9/8 Attack of the Qunioa

Okay, I have to admit: I can't get enough quinoa. I was introduced to it last year, and the idea that it is a grain with a whole lot of protein (which is my main issue, as a vegetarian) immediately attracts me. It also goes fabulously with goat cheese.


Vegetarian sausage, eggplant, onions, and quinoa with goat cheese

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

9/7 First Meal of the Semester

Eggplant, garlic, onions, and orzo with tomatoes and cucumber in yogurt sauce

Monday, September 6, 2010

9/6 I Love to Cook!

Although I failed at keeping up with this blog, I will be back for another attempt.

I live in a program house at my school, which some may compare to a co-op (although I really have no idea how co-ops work). It's just a bunch of sophomores and juniors who live in a house together because they share some common interest. Our interest is cooking. We have weekly house dinners/brunches together (all 16 of us) and have a fabulous time. We also have an enormous kitchen, which is helpful when 10 people are cooking at the same time.

I have so far succeeded in my goal of photographing everything [my friends and] I cook this semester, so I will document it all here. Most deliciousness is made with experimentation and a little bit of recipe, but I will document recipes when it seems fit.

My photos are not the most beautiful due to my sad, automatic camera, but they are just oh-so-delicious.